MovieChat Forums > Revenge of the Nerds (1984) Discussion > Something that has always bothered me...

Something that has always bothered me...

posted 11 years ago by AriaOfTelengard
15 replies | jump to latest

During the nerd party scene right before the Alpha-Betas crash it, Poindexter ponders a question: "...would you rather live in the ascendancy of a civilization or during its decline?"

I was a cognizant child when this movie first hit the theaters. I remember thinking to myself that I am currently living in the ascendancy of the United States. It was the 80's for Christ's sake! I figured the decline of the United States wouldn't be for a few hundred years.

Wow, the state of the US sure has changed since the 1980's. I now feel as if I am living in the decline of the United States! And this wasn't even supposed to happen for a few hundred years.

Poindexter couldn't contemplate someone living in both the ascendancy AND decline of a civilization. But that's exactly my situation.

[–] Sparky48 11 years ago

Sounds like you're a nerd as well!

[–] gabby_bm 11 years ago

I think it's a great sociology question, really.

Though I do think you're being a bit pessimistic in considering now to be a decline of a civilization. Yes, I'll agree there are definitely some declining factors, but I consider them setbacks as opposed to markings of a civilization's decline. What we've basically had is the same rulers for about 50 years. But once the "king is dead" and the new king takes the throne (i.e. ruling factions not governed by the Democrats or Republicans, a shift in the present economic model that minimizes the class warfare) perhaps we will see that the foundation is still sound as we forge ahead.

WILL this happen? Only time will tell. But I think it's too early to consider this the decline. If anything, by what I see and read, it seems like more of an overthrow or an usurpation than a decline- a treason against our primary and founding principles.

My "#3" key is broken so I'm putting one here so i can cut & paste with it.

[–] roboh-1 11 years ago

The 1980s were clearly civilization's peak, when movies like ROTN could be made. Look how far we have fallen!

=*=*=*=*=
The main reason that Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live

[–] sage2112 9 years ago

Well first of all, I'm not sure anyone (ever) was saying it would take the USA a few hundred years to fail.

[–] dakoko 8 years ago

You, madame, are being so dramatic.
Get over yourself already!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIq9PEWa7tQ

[–] stevenackerman69 8 years ago

I think he says that because he is stoned on the wonder joint and that is something he would say, considering his character.

[–] insomniacmovie 8 years ago

Oh yeah, well, what if C-A-T really spelled dog?

[–] adresher-1 8 years ago

It is a great question! I too am a child of the 80s. The 80s were amazing, what many people fail to realize is the 80s boom and the money that was invested in R&D led to many items we take for grated being readily available and affordable to the masses today. PC, cellphone, the Internet bandwidth, too many drugs and medical break through's to list happened because of the 80s boom cycle. Have gone from affordable Beta/VHS rentals, to DVDs, to TIVO/DVR and now one can stream pretty much and movie or TV show from their living room.

I agree that the US is in decline right now. What is a bit frightening is it seems every great civilization lasts around 200 years. While the US was in decline in the 70s, Reagan gave us another 25+ great years. However, the world has been discovered now and if the US fails I am not sure who if any country can step it up.

I personally would rather be in the ascendancy. Everyone is optimistic, people are working hard to fulfill their dreams, nobody wants to "take from the more fortunate, etc. When things go bad it is not fun for anyone. Also people love to say, what if you were very rich? Wouldn't it be great to be wealthy when a society is declining? Well those are the people who often suffer the most. Look at what happened in the great depression in the last 20s/early 30s. Also you do not want to be one of the super wealthy when a revolution hits. Not too many French aristocrats made in out alive in the late 18th century.

[–] BiffGG 8 years ago

I think what was meant by living in the decline is that you are enjoying the "meaty-est" of the decadence. Sure, some people had extramarital sex or did not have gainful employment prior to the counter culture of the 1960's but those people had the scorn of society placed on them. From about 1980 on it seemed like it was "anything goes" time in American society.
I have mixed thoughts about Reagan. Perhaps, his greatest achievement was bankrupting the Soviet effort to compete militarily. The verdict is in on trickle down economics and it did not work. It might have if great effort was not expended in outsourcing jobs but we can only grade by the end result. We as human beings are in a bad spot and we most likely lack the intelligence and humility to get out of it without violence.

[–] adresher-1 8 years ago

I do not mean this in any disrespectful way, but Reagan's tax plan aka trickle down economics gave us the 25 boom years of growth. I know liberal love to say things like it only helped the rich, etc. but all classes saw the benefits. Unemployment and inflation saw big drops. You can always find a liberal economist to throw out fudged numbers but his tax cuts worked beyond anyone's expectations.

[–] BiffGG 8 years ago

I don't think politicians can take much of the credit for the good times that mostly happened in the 1990's. Therefore I do not give Clinton any credit for the tech boom then. Maybe Reagan could be given some credit for economic stimulation as defense spending increased and in particular for the US Navy. The 1980's saw bad times early for the auto industry and particularly for Ford. Lee Iacocca lead Chrysler out of the doldrums with the introduction of the K-cars and Grand Caravan mini-vans. Ford raised quality which was the single largest issue along with lagging in fuel economy. The Taurus and Escort helped in these respects.

[–] Binkconn 8 years ago

The Reagan '80s were only an ascendancy for the white and wealthy; the gap between the rich and poor started to accelerate, and his 'trickle-down' economics for the poor never worked. America's ascendancy was probably the 1950's through the '70s, the decline beginning around 1982 (But Poindexter was smoking that doobie in '84, so the good times were still around...)

[–] BiffGG 8 years ago

The 1980's were the beginning of the end economically for a lot of whites especially those who were blue collar during that time. If they were lucky they were no longer paying on a mortgage or supporting kids so their cost of living was less. They could get by stocking shelves at some store. Those who could not had to move to a different town where they could pursue similar work to what they had in their old town.